Graduate Student and AI

[ScarletRed]

Exactly Taualumna.

We have the "Civic League" where I am from instead of Junior League. 100% of them are married. 100% of them are from extremely wealthy households.

They sponsor a huge Miss America preliminary pagaent every year and people turn out to that thing dressed like it's a Hollywood movie premier. They also limit their membership to 30 women so the only way a new member gets in is if someone moves, dies, or files for bankruptcy. Ok, I'm joking, but you get the point.

There are so many incredibly talented women that are looking for an organization to lend their talents to. If someone is willing to take the time to wait 6 months, a year, maybe even 2, to AI a sorority, then it would be a horrible waste of time to be anything but a fully participating member, and a disservice to the sorority who took the time, the effort, and the resources to sponsor them and bring them in.

I don't really think that there is a "flood" of AI requests to National GLO's, and it should remain something selective and special. I could be wrong, I sure don't work for National. I may look at it differently if I did.

There are just a ton of women that went to schools where there were no sororities, etc. What would be the harm and damage in bringing these women into an organization where they want to contribute to it?

I see none.

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Even Junior League can be "older." While provisionals are nowhere near 65, many are already in their 30s and have had a few years of work/real life experience.

[irishpipes]

Originally Posted by ScarletRed

There are just a ton of women that went to schools where there were no sororities, etc. What would be the harm and damage in bringing these women into an organization where they want to contribute to it?

I see none.

I do see a problem with bringing in a "ton" of these women. Part of the bond shared by sorority sisters comes from common collegiate experiences. If we water that down to where a "ton" of alumnae do not have that experience, much of that common bond would be lost.

[Jen]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I do see a problem with bringing in a "ton" of these women. Part of the bond shared by sorority sisters comes from common collegiate experiences. If we water that down to where a "ton" of alumnae do not have that experience, much of that common bond would be lost.

As an AI, I actually agree with that. I don't have a common collegiate bond with the women in my alumnae chapter, and I never will have that.

And it is nearly impossible to achieve the same type of bond outside the collegiate experience. While I love the time I spend with my alum chapter, it is never going to be the same for me connection-wise as it is for my non-AI sisters.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by irishpipes

I do see a problem with bringing in a "ton" of these women. Part of the bond shared by sorority sisters comes from common collegiate experiences. If we water that down to where a "ton" of alumnae do not have that experience, much of that common bond would be lost.

But different chapters have different collegiate experiences anyway.

[SoCalGirl]

Yes, but they all experience rush/recruitment, big/lil sis, and all the drama that comes from being a collegiate sorority member.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

Yes, but they all experience rush/recruitment, big/lil sis, and all the drama that comes from being a collegiate sorority member.

Sure, but not every alum would have gone through rush/recruitment the same way. One could have never gone through formal (i.e. the only formal experience she would have had was from "the other side" if at all...our Alpha Eta chapter at Dalhousie (and other Halifax area universities) is the only NPC group on campus. Their Alpha Gam experience would likely be different from a school with formal.), and "drama" will depend on the chapter. Just sayin'

[Jen]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Sure, but not every alum would have gone through rush/recruitment the same way. One could have never gone through formal (i.e. the only formal experience she would have had was from "the other side), and "drama" will depend on the chapter. Just sayin'

In my particular chapter, almost every alum member was in the same collegiate chapter, most know each other or were in the chapter at the same time together, or have advised for years etc. And of course all of that is a connection I don't share.

[Taualumna]

Originally Posted by ariesrising

In my particular chapter, almost every alum member was in the same collegiate chapter, most know each other or were in the chapter at the same time together, or have advised for years etc. And of course all of that is a connection I don't share.

I see. For my alumnae chapter, of all the women who are VERY involved, there are women from Alpha Eta (Dal/Halifax-area schools), Delta Nu (U of Calgary), Zeta Chi (Western). Of course, there are many Tau alumnae too. But it seems that many of the women who're really involved are NOT from Tau.

[SoCalGirl]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Sure, but not every alum would have gone through rush/recruitment the same way. One could have never gone through formal (i.e. the only formal experience she would have had was from "the other side" if at all...our Alpha Eta chapter at Dalhousie (and other Halifax area universities) is the only NPC group on campus. Their Alpha Gam experience would likely be different from a school with formal.), and "drama" will depend on the chapter. Just sayin'

I know not all chapters have the same type of recruitment. My feeling was more along the line of collegiate members who have dealt with the stress of recruiting new members. Also while specific drama will depend on the chapter I feel nearly all chapters across the board deal with similar types of drama that non-sorority members don't deal with while collegians.

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Sure, but not every alum would have gone through rush/recruitment the same way. One could have never gone through formal (i.e. the only formal experience she would have had was from "the other side" if at all...our Alpha Eta chapter at Dalhousie (and other Halifax area universities) is the only NPC group on campus. Their Alpha Gam experience would likely be different from a school with formal.), and "drama" will depend on the chapter. Just sayin'

Hawaii is like that as well, being the only NPC on campus.

Auburn, Berkeley, 'Bama, UCLA, Illinois, Oregon State, Michigan State -- just some of the campuses represented by our alumnae, and obviously different collegiate environments than the one I went through.

We also have a big group of AIs initiated when my chapter was installed in 1992.

So yes, not everyone goes through the same collegiate experience.